steinenbdhmer



No. 6H,397 Patented Sept. 27, |898. F.. W. STEINENBHMER.

CANDLE HOLDER4 (Applicamn med me; 22. 1597.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l'.

(No Model.)

CANDLE HOLDER.

Application filed Dec. 22, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(N0 Model.)

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CANDLE-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,397, dated September 27, 1898.

Application filed December 22,1897. Serial No. 663,000. (No model.) Patented in Germany .Tune 17, 1896,1To. 92,649) in` Austria December 16, 1896,1To. L15/4,901, and July 12, 1897, No. L17/2,687; in Belgium January 24,1896,No. 119,620, and November 18, 1896,1T0. 124,640,I in France February 6, 1896, No. 253,748, and in England June 19, 1896,1To. 13,586,

and October 8,1896,No. 22,820.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH WILHELM STEINENBHMER, a citizen of the German Empire, residing at Iserlohn, in the Province of Westphalia, Germany, have invented a new and useful Candle-Holder, (for which I have obtained patents in Austria, dated December 16, 1895, No.v 45/4,901, and July 12, 1897, No. 47/2,687; in France, dated February 6, 1896, No. 253,7 48, and certificat daddition November 19, 1896, No. 253,748; vin Belgium, dated January 24, 1896, No. 119,520, and certificat daddition November 18, 1896, No. 124,640; in England, dated June 19, 1896, No. 13,585, and October 8, 1896, No. 22,820, and in Germany, dated June 17, 1895, No. 92,649, published July 22, 1897,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to candlesticks having the candle supported on a spring-pressed follower or bearer which is arranged within the candle-holding tube and forced upward by the action of the spring, so as to keep the wick always above the top of the Candlestick as the candle burns away.

Heretofore in these devices the melted stearine, paraffin, or other material of the candle has often run down between the tube and the bearer. To guard against this, I make the upper end of the bearer and the lower part of the terminal cap of said tube correspondingly conoidal in form and provide the said cap with an inwardly-extendin g annular stopilange in a horizontal plane above that of .their line of contact, so that when there is only the base of the candle left it will still be` held properly in positionand the upward pressure of the uspring will tighten the conoidal surfaces more and more together below it, making a joint through which the molten material of said tip will not flow downward. I also provide means for facilitating the inspection of the candle through the candle stick or holder and otherwise improving the device, substantially as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

My improvements are in part applicable to candle-lanterns as well.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the center of the candle-holder tube with a long piece of candle in it and with a top cap. Fig. 2 isa similar section showing only the upper part of the candle-holder with a piece of candle in it nearly burned up. Fig. 3 shows an outside view of a candle-holder like Fig. 1, with a foot connected thereto for use `as a Candlestick. Fig. 4 is partly a longitudinal section of a Candlestick with a top cap hinged to the holder-tube and with knobs indicating the length of candle therein. Fig. `5 shows the top of Fig. 4 with the candle nearly burned up. Fig. 6 shows part of the outside of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a section through Fig. 6 along line l I. Fig. Sis an outside view of my candle-holder, theV top cap carrying a lantern-housing in closed state. Fig. 9 shows the same, the lantern-housing turned on one side. Fig. 10 shows the top part of my new candle-holder provided with a shade.

In all forms of execution the candle-holder consists of the combination of the following main parts: the candle-holding tube a, which is closed at one end and open. at the other; the locking-cap b, with a conical or otherwise shaped inside, capable of forming a seat like a valve-seat;l the candle-bearer c, fittin g with its top into the cap b, like a valve in its seat, and forming there a closed joint, and the pressure-spring d, which pushes the candle-bearer, with the candle on it, upward against the inwardly-turned small flange e of the locking-cap, so that the candle will always be pushed upward as it is reduced by burning, but that it cannot be thrown out upward by the pressure' of` the spring d. These parts form the foundation of my invention. In their design and working they may vary, and do vary, in minor details, in order to produce the candle-holder at a lower or higher price and to be able to combine it with other parts, according to the special use for which the candle-holder is intended. Such other parts of secondary importance `may be added thereto to make `the candle-holder fit to answer the objects named above.

The main object in all cases is to form. a closed valve-like joint between the lockingcap and the candle-bearer, so that when the candle is burned down nearly to the end and the candle-bearer is pressed into the lockingcap no fluid candle matter shall be able to run into the interior of the tube.

In Figs. l, 2, and 3 the locking-cap b is connected to the upper part of the candle-tube a by means of an ordinary bayonet-joint. This is the simplest form of execution. Then a new candle hasv to be introduced, the cap h is put on its top, the small fiange c pressing against or resting upon the reduced edge of the candle-top. The candle-bearer c then being aboutin the position shown in Fig. 2, the foot of the candle is put thereon, and'then it is pressed downward into the tube, the spring d being compressed until the cap has reached the position indicated in Fig. l. The cap is then fully pressed down and turned a little, so that the vertical recess in the corner of the horizontal side of the slot stands just over the knob g, when it is allowed to go back a little and lock itself fast..

This candle-holder may be provided at the bottom with a dish-shaped foot 7i, as shown in Fig. 3 and also in Fig. 4, to make an ordinary candlestick. It mayA also be provided about in the middle of its length with a male screw-thread, as shown at e', Fig. l, so that a lantern-housing 7.", can be screwed thereon, as shown in Fig. S and as I will explain more fully hereinafter.

When arranged as a candlestick, it may be desirable to have some means allowing to see how much candle there is left unburned, and for this purpose small holes or perforations m', as shown in Fig. 3, are made in the tube a, or two radially-opposite longitudinal slots m, as indicated in Figs. 4 to 7, are cut into the candle-tube at. In the latter case a diametrical pin n is put through the slot-s, going also through the lower part of the candle-bearer c, which is bored accordingly, and through the spirals of the spring d knobs 0 are fixed to the projecting ends of the pin it to secure it at both sides against falling or being pulled out. From Figs. 4 and 5 it will now be easily understood that these knobs and the pin noty only are convenient means for the indication lof the length of unburned candle in the candlestick, but that they are also a very practical device for compressing the spring d when a new candle is to be introduced, so that this needs no furthery to be pressed down by the cap. In order to make this still more convenient, the slots 'm at the bottom end in horizontal recessess p, Figs. 6 and 9, and into these recesses the pin n is turned when arrived at the bottom. It is then locked fast, so that now the candle can be conveniently inserted. Now in combination with this arrangement I prefer instead of the bayonet-joint cap b a hinged locking-cap q, as one is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Here the conical socket of this cap is provided with a flange r, and a corresponding flange s is arranged at the top of the tube a', both fianges being joined together by a hinge t, so that the flange r, with the socket, can be turned on one side, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. A swivel u, on the fiange r and passing through a slot it in the fiange s serves to lock both flanges together, so that the upper flange and socket cannot be turned open by the pressure of the candle and spring. This arrangement has the advantage that even if the swivel should happen to stand in opening position, so that it can pass through the slot in fiange s, the cap cannot be opened and the candle thrown out accidentally, because the candle, reaching into the socket and being jammed therein firmly, would hinder the turning of the same, because it would be placed edgewise.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, when only the last fragment of the candle remains unburned it will be held in position at the top of the candlestick below the flange e, with the wick and fiame above the latter. The spring CZ forces the conoidal face of the upper end of the follower or bearer c against the corresponding conoidal inner face of the cap b at a pointbelow the said flange and holds it so tightly that the material melting from this fragment of the candle will be sealed against running down within the tube. The upper part of the interior of the cap thus practically vforms an inclosure with a closed bottom containing the still unmelted fragment of the candle. c

I have already pointed out above that my candle-holder very conveniently can be arranged for use as a lantern. This variation is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. In Fig. 8 the tube a of Fig. l, with the screw-thread t' on it, is used. A socket t, having female thread at its lower end and fitting upon the thread t', is screwed thereon. At its crown this socket carries a suitable lantern-housing 7c with glass windows and a door w. It needs no special mention that the housing may be tted in any other suitable manner with the candle-holder,

and I do not limit myself to the special man-l ner of connection shown.

The example shown i'nFig. l0 differs from the preceding lanternonly in this, that here the candle-holder of Fig. 4 is used with the hinged top cap. Thev flanges r and s in this case of course have got such shape as to correspond to the shape .of the bottom of a lantern-housing, which in this case, as shown by the drawings, can be turned on one side when a new candle has to be introduced. By means of an arm Z this lantern can be fixed to a bracket, as indicated in dotted lines. Finally, I have shown in Fig. l0 the tube part of my new candle-holder with a hinged locking-cap when the fiange r2 is provided with a socket az, into which is stuck a small post y, carrying at its top a shade-holder or refiector e'. This shade-holder, as Will be seen from the drawings, can be conveniently removed, if desired. A similar arrangement of course might be added to the candlestick shown in Fig. 3. All that would have to be done is to provide a suitable support for the shadeholder or refiector. The candlestick shown in Fig. 3 may also be provided with a disk r2, as shown in dotted lines, to whicha shadeholder may be fixed in a similar manner. This disk at the same time prevents fluid candle-'matter dropping down at the sides.

I am aware that prior to my invention can dlesticks have been known in which the candles are pressed upward by a spring, and I do not claim this combination, broadly; but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a Candlestick, the combination of a candle-holding tube provided at its upper end with a conoidal cap having an inwardlyv projecting flange at its upper edge, in combination with a conoidal candle bearer or follower, adapted to fit against the inner face of the said cap at a point below the said flange, and a spring which forces the said bearer upward to tighten the joint between the said conoidal faces and prevent the downward leakage of the material melted from the base or last piece of the candle when the rest of it is consumed, while allowing the said piece to be held in place against the flange substantially as set forth.

2. In a candle-holder in combination with a tube d closed at one end and having longitudinal slots m at its sides, a fiange s at the top of said tube d', a slot u' in said flange, a cap ZJ having an inwardly-directed small flange c at the upper edge and a ange r at the lower edge corresponding with said flange s and connected to it by a hinge t, a swivel u on said flange 7" for holdingboth flanges together, a candle-bearer c corresponding in shape to the inner side ofthe cap b and bored through horizontally, a pin n passing through. the slots fm, and the boring in the candle-- bearer; knobs o at the ends of the pin, a spiral spring d resting on the closed end of the tube ci and pressing said candle-bearerI with its upper end into or against the seat in thecap b' and a dish-shaped foot 71, to which the tube d is fixed at its bottom, the whole as illustrated and described and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a candle-holder in combination with a tube d closed at one end and having longitudinal slots m at its sides, a flange s at the top of said tube d', a slot in said flange, a cap b having an inwardly-directed small flange e at the upper edge and a Bange r at the lower edge corresponding with said flange V s and forming the bottom of a lantern-housing lc fixed on top of said flange r', said lantern-housing being hinged to the flange s', a.

swivel serving to lock both flanges fr and s' together, the whole as illustrated and for the purpose set forth.

FRIEDRICH WILHELM Witnesses:

R. A. JAHN, OTTO KNIG.

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